computer glitch that resulted in surprise demands for social insurance payments.

Businesses had been hit with bills asking for extra "lump sums'', said NLP chairman Mr. Geoff Parker.

He said the extra demands apparently followed a computer malfunction whereby 13 weeks of contributions were lost, "amounting to many millions of dollars''.

Government should have sent a letter of explanation and offered to help small firms pay the lump sum demands, he said.

"If Government has made a mistake then they should admit it, explain it and get the co-operation of the taxpayer instead of his wrath.

"This typical arrogant Saulish style of `bill the taxpayer and then duck for cover' is not acceptable.'' Mr. Parker said the amount due to Government for social insurance had gone up from $3,755,000 in 1990 to a "staggering'' $17,440,000 in 1993.

The 1993 figure did not include the back-payments now being asked for and was therefore understated.

But Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul had not given Parliament the real total, he said.

Mr. Parker has been attempting to delay the election on the grounds that Government was going to the polls without fully disclosing its handling of taxpayers' money.

OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION